Florida basketball trails only Duke and Illinois in The Athletic's 2026-27 men's college basketball preseason Top 25 rankings. The Gators come in at No. 3 after winning the SEC regular-season title last year and returning a host of starters and contributing pieces for the upcoming campaign.

College basketball analyst CJ Moore reinforces buzz around the Gators' championship potential with his top five ranking. ESPN's preseason evaluation placed the same three programs in its highest tier of title favorites, while the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 have Florida leading the pack.

Florida returns four starters from last year's roster, including national player of the year candidate Thomas Haugh and the reigning Naismith Defensive Player of the Year in Rueben Chinyelu. Alex Condon, who was a key contributor to the Gators' 2025 national championship run, completes arguably the best front court in the country.

This dominant inside presence created a consistent matchup problem for most teams and helped drive the Gators to a 27-8 record. The group's cumulative production overwhelmed opponents on both ends of the floor, with Florida leading the NCAA in total rebounds and No. 15 in blocks per game.

The Gators are one of five SEC programs ranked in The Athletic's top 25, joining Texas, Arkansas, Alabama and Vanderbilt. With championship expectations becoming the standard in Gainesville, Golden faces the challenge of translating Florida's potential into another Final Four run.

The Athletic's 2026-27 preseason men's basketball top 25

1. Duke

2. Illinois

3. Florida

4. Arizona

5. UConn

6. Texas

7. Michigan State

8. Arkansas

9. Houston

10. Louisville

11. Kansas

12. St. John's

13. Michigan

14. Texas Tech

15. Virginia

16. Alabama

17. Miami

18. Vanderbilt

19. UCLA

20. Iowa

21. Saint Louis

22. Iowa State

23. Gonzaga

24. Purdue

25. Baylor